Cboe Global Markets

Crystal Stanfield

For those that don’t know me, I’m Crystal Stanfield, and I’ve been in the Recruiting and Talent Acquisition space for 25 years now. Through all these years, I’ve said time and time again that Talent Acquisition is the sales and marketing of a company’s HR. At the core of that philosophy sits Talent Attraction.

Stories are powerful. It’s only natural that recruiters must become skilled storytellers in order to influence and persuade high-performing individuals who may not be actively seeking a new career opportunity. Talent Attraction is about reframing the mindset—turning “It’s not always greener on the other side” into a compelling case for growth, fulfillment, and opportunity. But its utility doesn’t stop there. Talent Attraction can also serve broader strategic purposes—casting wide nets, niche nets, or highly targeted ones to meet different organizational needs.

One of the things I truly enjoy is using Talent Attraction strategies to solve real business problems. Technology and vendors can certainly play a role, but Talent Attraction is the unifying umbrella. When developing strategies, I recommend following a consistent structure. Begin by identifying the core problem. Are you addressing supply and demand issues, opening a new office in a new location, building early-career pipelines, preparing for critical skill shortages, or increasing diversity? Once you define the challenge, you can start to formulate the right approach.

Next, dig into the data—both internal and external. I believe in grounding strategies in facts because truth provides a strong foundation. After the data comes the persona work. Understand exactly who you’re trying to attract. Put yourself in their shoes. Where do they spend their time? What communities are they part of? What media do they consume? Whether it’s alumni networks, professional associations, or social platforms, leave no stone unturned in this discovery process.

“Whether you’re part of a small organization or a global enterprise, every Talent Acquisition team should have at least one person who specializes in Talent Attraction. It’s a strategic advantage and a potential game-changer.”

Once you know who you’re talking to, it’s time to decide what to say. What stories does your organization have to tell? Maybe you’re building innovative products, disrupting an industry, fostering an inclusive or family-friendly culture, or offering unmatched flexibility. Perhaps your training programs are second to none. Whatever your message, understand that different people are motivated by different things—some care most about compensation, others about culture, development, flexibility, or cutting-edge work. And remember: authenticity is key. Don’t embellish. If a new hire arrives and feels misled, you risk disengagement from day one.

Choosing the right channels to share your message is another essential step. The options are constantly evolving—especially with the rise of AI—but some tried-and-true categories remain reliable. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, and X offer broad reach. Job boards, including LinkedIn again, as well as Glassdoor, Indeed, Dice, and ZipRecruiter, are powerful tools. Culture boards such as The Muse, BuiltIn, and Fairy Godboss help convey your organizational values. Events like job fairs, meetups, conferences, or TED-style talks can build meaningful connections. You can also explore industry publications, online forums, podcasts, and more—depending on where your persona spends time.

Consider the resources available to you. Do you have a strong internal creative team, or do you need to outsource to a recruitment marketing agency? There are specialists out there who focus solely on recruitment and employer branding. You’ll likely need some budget, so it’s important to understand what you can achieve at no cost versus what requires financial investment. If funding is needed, this process will also help you build a compelling business case. By now, you’ll have a clearly defined problem, a proposed solution, an understanding of your costs, and projected ROI. Don’t forget to examine where your department is currently spending money. If it’s not moving the needle, reallocate funds toward higher-impact efforts.

Once you have the necessary approvals and support, it’s time to build your content—your stories, videos, photos, and messaging. Make sure everything aligns with your Employee Value Proposition (EVP), company principles, and employer brand. If those elements haven’t been developed yet, it’s worth investing time there first. Identify employees who have charisma and authentic stories to share. These individuals could be senior leaders or new graduates—the key is to match the speaker to your target persona.

Be clear about your call to action. Every piece of content should guide the audience toward something specific—whether that’s joining your talent community, applying for a role, registering for an event, or simply learning more. Ensure this call to action links back to your applicant tracking system (ATS) or, ideally, your candidate relationship management (CRM) platform.

Finally, think about measurement. Which key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you track progress and success? Ideally, your ATS or CRM will track traffic sources accurately— not the self-reported kind, but actual digital analytics. Google Analytics and other tools can help you understand which channels are performing. Depending on the platforms you’re using, you can track click-through rates, completed applications, time spent on your pages, and keywords driving traffic. These insights will help you refine and improve your strategy over time.

Whether you’re part of a small organization or a global enterprise, every Talent Acquisition team should have at least one person who specializes in Talent Attraction. It’s a strategic advantage and a potential game-changer. Many large companies have entire departments focused on this, but surprisingly, many others still overlook it or treat it as an afterthought. Over my 25- year career, I’ve seen firsthand how critical Talent Attraction is to the overall success of Talent Acquisition.